Norcustsur
County of Norcustsur
Grafat Norcustsurs | |
|---|---|
County | |
| Country | Grand Duchy of Radictistan |
| Capital | Hartfer |
| Government | |
| • Lord Governor | Jessica Saamuls, Baroness Hahlding |
| Population | |
| • Total | 160,879,482 |
| • Rank | 1st in Radictistan |
The County of Norcustsur is the northernmost of Radictistan's seven Counties. It is the most populous with more than 160 million inhabitants and is home to most of the country's heavy industry and mining operations. Its capital is Hartfer. Norcustsur has become notorious in recent months as the main operating ground of the Communist Party of Radictistan, a shadowy Communist terrorist group which has repeatedly struck at government and industrial targets. The entire County is now under a state of emergency with troops deployed to Hartfer and other cities on public order duties.
Geography
Norcustsur is the northernmost County of the Grand Duchy of Radictistan. The terrain in most parts of the County is mountainous. The Norbargen chain contains the highest geographic point in Radictistan, the summit of the Haganbarg at 4,736 meters.
The Radicti and Hartfer rivers have their headwaters in Norcustsur. The Hartfer River forms the border with the County of Yestingsur. The Radicti River flows south where it forms the border between Westwoodsur and Yestingsur. Both rivers are major arteries for commercial, mostly mineral traffic.
Climate
Parts of Norcustsur near the coasts have a humid continental climate of the Dfb (warm summer) subtype. Some interior areas at higher altitudes and the extreme northern fringes of the County favor a subarctic climate.
History
Norcustsur conflict
Beginning with the bombing of a Radictistan Automotive Works building in Hartfer, the County of Norcustsur has been rocked by a devastating campaign carried out by the Communist Party of Radictistan, a communist revolutionary group. Over two thousand people have been killed in the violence despite the efforts of tens of thousands of security personnel from the Royal Security Police and army.
Government and politics
County government
The chief executive and head of government is the Lord Governor who is appointed by the Grand Duke. The Lord Governor is expected to act as nonpartisan figure. The current Lord Governor is Jessica Saamuls, Baroness Hahlding.
Legislative authority is vested in the Norcustsur Assembly, a unicameral body with 325 members elected every three years by party-list proportional representation. The Fascist Democratic Party held a slim majority until the 2014 general election which resulted in a hung parliament. Like all other County Assemblies, the Norcustsur Assembly has limited powers. Its main responsibilities are to approve the Crown's appointment of the Lord Governor and pass the county budget. Most legislation in Radictistan is passed at the national level with Counties allowed to legislate only within limited areas of competence.
Law enforcement
The County of Norcustsur Police is the primary law enforcement body in Norcustsur. The county police are organized in a paramilitary fashion with approximately 91,000 total personnel. Departments and Municipalities have their own police forces which are responsible for low-level policing duties only. The Royal Security Police performs many important law enforcement functions, particularly since the beginning of the internal conflict.
Politics
Norcustsur politics is characterized by a tendency towards radicalism and the increased prominence of third parties compared to other parts of the country. The far-right National Conservative Party and far-left Labor Party continually vie for the allegiance of the working classes of Norcustsur. Norcustsur society is bitterly divided between the two camps and outbreaks of factionalist violence are common in major cities, particularly Hartfer.
Administrative divisions
The area of Norcustsur is divided into departments and municipalities. Departments cover rural areas and are led by an elected Department Council (Radictistani: Departmentsrat) chaired by a Ratsprasident. All members of the Departmentsrat including the chief executive are elected by residents on a nonpartisan ballot. Municipalities are urban areas which have been granted municipal status by Royal Charter. The exact nature of Municipal government is determined by the particular charter granted to each Municipality but Municipalities are always headed by an elected Mayor (Radictistani: Statmeister) with a municipal council acting in an advisory and legislative role.
Economy
Norcustsur has the largest economy of any Radictistani county. Mining and heavy industries such as steelmaking, shipbuilding, chemicals, and automobile manufacturing are the mainstays of the Norcustsur economy. Many of Radictistan's largest industrial concerns are headquartered and have most of their production capacity within the County, including Radictistan Automotive Works, Nor Stahlwerk, Rabensberg Heavy Industries, and Kazdan Mining and Metals. Agriculture plays only a minor role in the county's economy. Most farms are located along the northeastern coast near the border with Yestingsur where the terrain is relatively flat.
Transport
Air
Norcustsur has 79 airports, more than any other Radictistani county. In addition to the "Big Four,"[1] a number of regional airlines such as Mountain Airways and SchnellJet operate within Norcustsur, usually under contract from one of the larger carriers. Norcust-Hartfer International Airport, serving the capital city, is one of Radictistan's two international airports. It is the busiest passenger thoroughfare after Nuxenstat Xenocimedes Radicti International Airport. Norcust Aviation, Radictistan's second-largest airline, has its main hub at Norcust-Hartfer. The airport is also a major transit point for air cargo.
Road
Three motorways pass through Norcustsur. The A10 starts at Luerkraft and heads south through Hartfer, ultimately terminating in Greater Nuxenstat. The A17 begins at Hartfer and heads east into Yestingsur. The A19 heads west from Hartfer.
Rail
Royal Radictistan Railways operates passenger and freight services in Norcustsur. The county has a high concentration of rail lines both to serve the sizeable passenger market and to convey Norcustsur's mineral and manufactured products. In addition to the network owned and operated by the national rail company, number of lines are operated by mining companies to serve their facilities totaling 889 route-kilometers.
Ports
Major port cities in Norcustsur include Brightburg-on-Norcust, Luerkraft, and Norwach. The Port of Luerkraft is one of the main ports used for Radictistani steel exports.